The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into an incident where a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child in Santa Monica, California. The collision occurred on January 23, 2026, near Grant Elementary School, when the child entered the roadway outside a crosswalk and was hit by the autonomous vehicle at low speed. No injuries were reported, and the child walked away from the scene with their parent present.
Immediate Action & Core Facts
The NHTSA announced its investigation following a voluntary report from Waymo, which stated that its vehicle detected the child emerging from behind a parked SUV and braked hard, reducing speed from 17 mph to under 6 mph before impact. The Santa Monica Police Department confirmed the incident involved a low-speed, non-injury collision and noted the child was outside the designated crosswalk. Waymo asserted that its technology responded faster than a human driver would have in the same scenario.
Deeper Dive & Context
Incident Details
Waymo’s autonomous vehicle, known as the Waymo Driver, was operating in a school zone during drop-off hours when the child suddenly entered the roadway. The company claims its system detected the pedestrian immediately and applied emergency braking, minimizing impact severity. The vehicle remained on-site until police cleared it to leave.
Regulatory Response
The NHTSA’s investigation follows a similar probe into a Cruise LLC autonomous vehicle that struck a pedestrian in October 2023. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also announced plans to investigate the Waymo incident. Waymo has pledged full cooperation with both agencies.
Technical Claims vs. Reality
Waymo cited a peer-reviewed model suggesting a human driver would have collided with the pedestrian at 14 mph, compared to the autonomous vehicle’s 6 mph impact. The company framed this as evidence of its technology’s safety benefits. However, critics argue that such comparisons are hypothetical and may not account for real-world variability in human response times.
Broader Implications
The incident adds to a growing list of collisions involving self-driving vehicles from companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Cruise. While proponents highlight advancements in autonomous technology, skeptics point to recurring safety concerns as the industry scales up testing and deployment.
Ongoing Investigations
The NHTSA and NTSB will review data from the Waymo vehicle, including sensor logs and braking patterns, to determine if design or software flaws contributed to the collision. The outcome could influence future regulations for autonomous vehicle operations in school zones and urban environments.